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Byrd’s double lifts Phillies over Mets 3-2 in 11

By WTOP Staff

HOWIE RUMBERG
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Marlon Byrd was having a difficult night at the plate, along with just about everyone else. Still, when he came up in the 11th inning against his former teammates, he had an idea what he wanted to do.

When the Mets switched their approach, he adjusted and came through.

Byrd reached low and away to slice an RBI double just inside the right field line in the 11th, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over New York 3-2 Friday night in a game of many squandered opportunities.

“He’s got a great mentality for that. He’s always on the positive side and he’s always up there,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “He’ll grind it out. He’ll grind out a game and that’s what he demonstrates.”

Chase Utley had three hits and scored all the Phillies’ runs, two on singles by Domonic Brown, to help Philadelphia end a four-game skid and beat the Mets for the first time in six meetings.

Carlos Torres (2-2), the seventh Mets pitcher, gave up a one-out double to Utley and intentionally walked Ryan Howard. Byrd, who played for the Mets last season, was able to go with the pitch for the opposite-field hit.

“Had some tough at-bats early,” Byrd said after striking out three times and walking twice before getting his big hit. “The good thing is I know the guys over there, know what they’re trying to do. They changed it up on me a little bit with Carlos. It was just one of those things.”

The Phillies left the bases loaded in the inning, only fitting as the teams combined to strand 32 runners on a damp night in a game that took 4 hours, 39 minutes.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his 10th save. Mario Hollands (1-1) got his first big league win.

The Mets returned home after a 2-6 road trip that ended with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins and a 23-inning scoreless streak. They quickly ended the drought on Curtis Granderson’s RBI double in the first but then reverted to their struggling ways until the eighth, when David Wright doubled in the tying run off Antonio Bastardo.

New York loaded the bases in each of the first two innings against Roberto Hernandez. The Mets also put two runners on in three other innings, including the fifth when they had second and third with no outs after shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ throwing error on a potential double-play ball.

Still, they mostly came up empty. New York left 15 on base, a season high, and went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

“You need a groundball up the middle, you need a flyball, you need to put the ball in play someplace to add on runs, to score the big runs, and everybody works at it every day,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.

While the Mets wasted opportunity after opportunity, the Phillies were hardly better in their first game since Toronto swept four from them in a home-and-home interleague series. Philadelphia stranded 17 at Citi Field and couldn’t capitalize on 11 walks — three intentional.

Brown and Utley teamed in the third and fifth against Jenrry Mejia to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Utley led off the third with a double and advanced to third on Howard’s fly to left. After a walk to Byrd, Brown fisted a soft liner the opposite way to left to tie it 1-all.

Brown drove in Utley in the fifth with another hit dunked into left field.

Mejia gave up two runs and six hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit a batter with a pitch and struck out four.

Hernandez labored through five innings, giving up a run while stranding 10.

“Hernandez battled from a second and third no outs, which was big at the time,” Sandberg said.

Mets fans got excited in the third when Mejia’s weak fly to left looked as though it had a chance of dropping. Instead, a charging Brown made the catch to leave New York pitchers 0 for 59 this season.

NOTES: Mets 1B Lucas Duda was out with a stomach flu. … Called up before the game to provide a spark for one of baseball’s worst offenses, SS Wilmer Flores went 2 for 5 for the Mets. … The Phillies selected the contract of infielder Reid Brignac from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He took INF Freddy Galvis’ spot. Galvis was sent to Lehigh after a 2-for-42 (.048) start. … New York Jets QB Geno Smith spoke with 150 students as part of the Mets Citi Kids program, then threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … LSU coach Les Miles talked football with Wright before the game. … Up next: Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (0-3, 3.58 ERA) vs. Mets RHP Dillon Gee (3-1, 2.51) on Saturday night.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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